From March 27-31, 2023, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is holding Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week (GPSAW) events across campus. UT’s Haslam College of Business is marking the occasion by honoring its 804 graduate and professional students.
Enrollment in Haslam’s graduate programs has grown 35 percent over the past five years and represents just over 20 percent of UT’s total graduate student population. For GPSAW, students in Haslam’s graduate programs, including those in residence and those who study fully online, took the occasion to reflect on their experiences in earning their degrees.
Haslam MS-SCM Tri-Con program student Riley Baltasar said she is impressed with her professors’ expertise and dedication.
“I have learned so much from them and value the knowledge they impart,” she said. “The opportunity to travel and experience different cultures while learning about global supply chain management has made my time throughout this program positive and enjoyable. Overall, I feel that my program experience has been an incredibly valuable investment in my future career.”
Laura Metaj, an international student from Albania whose MBA concentration is business analytics, called the MBA program transformational. She cites winning two team case competitions within her cohort, becoming an expert in solving several case studies with her team members, boosting her presentation skills and gaining hands-on international business experience through traveling to South America among the reasons the program was so invaluable to her.
“Along with fruitful classroom learning experiences, internship-seeking is one of the main pillars in this journey,” Metaj said. “The career services team has gone above and beyond to help connect me with the right people and make the search process smoother. With the plentiful career fairs on campus and several workshops, I was able to connect with hundreds of employers and land a summer internship with a global automotive company, Nissan. Thanks to the continuous support of the faculty and staff, I have rapidly grown on a professional and personal level.”
JeNae’ Fields decided to pursue an MBA through Haslam’s newest online program, the Online MBA, because it gave her the opportunity to be a full-time student while maintaining her family life and job in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“[The program] also grants me the opportunity to learn new information for my career and to refresh my knowledge on the things I learned during my undergrad tenure,” Fields said. “Everyone involved in the program contributes to my success; anything I need, they are there for me in whatever way they can help.”
Natalie Copeland, who is also pursuing her MBA online, said, “I am so excited to be part of the Online MBA program at UTK. I love the ability to take classes via Zoom and to learn on my own schedule, which helps me balance both work and family life while being part of a fantastic program.”
Haslam Graduate and Professional Program Offerings Expand to Meet Various, Diverse Student Needs
Mary Goss, executive director of Graduate Business Programs, said the administration, faculty and staff are always exploring ways to better serve their students.
“Our graduate and professional students increasingly come from nontraditional backgrounds and face different work and scheduling demands,” Goss said. “To meet their unique needs, in addition to our traditional offerings, we are diversifying our programming to provide hybrid online and in-person and wholly online degree programs, like the Online MBA program Natalie and JeNae’ will graduate from.”
Amy Cathey, distinguished lecturer and Haslam’s associate dean for graduate and executive education, expressed the college’s gratitude to the graduate and professional students who chose Haslam as a partner in their personal and career development.
“The Haslam College of Business is fortunate to have amazing graduate and professional students who are creative, passionate and determined to make a difference.” Cathey said. “The diverse backgrounds and experiences they bring to the college enrich our programs, and we feel fortunate to share this time with them. We look forward to great accomplishments from these students in the future.”
About the Haslam College of Business Graduate and Executive Education Programs
Haslam offers a growing portfolio of graduate and executive education programs designed to help students reach their personal and professional goals. At the master’s level, these programs include the Haslam full-time MBA, Online MBA, Professional MBA, Executive MBA (Global Supply Chain, Healthcare Leadership, Strategic Leadership), Aerospace & Defense MBA, Physician Executive MBA, Master of Accountancy, MS Management and Human Resources, MS Marketing, MS Business Analytics, MS Supply Chain Management Tri‑Continent and MS Supply Chain Management Online.
Haslam’s graduate programs address real-world challenges through an interdisciplinary approach where students develop both analytical and leadership skills. Faculty are industry thought leaders, seasoned practitioners and accomplished researchers who ensure the learning experience applies directly to each participant’s current or future job.
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CONTACT:
Scott McNutt, business writer/publicist, rmcnutt4@utk.edu
